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The Fremont Solstice Parade is an annual event that occurs each June in
Fremont Arts Council Homepage
Parade Homepage
{{Fremont, Seattle DIY culture Clothing-optional events Summer festivals Pacific Northwest art Festivals in Seattle Culture of Seattle Solstice Parade Recurring events established in 1989 1989 establishments in Washington (state) June
The Fremont Solstice Parade is an annual event that occurs each June in Seattle
Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...
, Washington
Washington most commonly refers to:
* George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States
* Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A ...
.
The Parade was founded by Barbara Luecke and Peter Toms in 1989. Luecke and Toms were inspired by the Santa Barbara Summer Solstice Parade and Celebration. The Parade quickly grew to include thousands of participants and tens of thousands of spectators. The event is produced each June by the Fremont Arts Council (FAC), a non-profit organization based in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle
Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...
, Washington
Washington most commonly refers to:
* George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States
* Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A ...
that supports the arts and artists in and around the city. The Parade kicks off the Fremont Fair, which for many years was a benefit for Solid Ground (originally known as the Fremont Public Association).
The Fremont Solstice Parade is famous for its style and flair, political humor, energetic ensembles, and creative floats. It is also widely known for the body-painted Solstice Cyclists, who kick off the event each year by stripping nude and paint their bodies. The event is a slowly-paced music, dance and character procession where direct crowd interaction is encouraged and ensembles of actors in costume entertain with political and social commentary.
The Fremont Solstice Pageant, a large-scale community play using over a hundred actors, musicians and giant puppets, was performed following the parade from 1997 to 2005 at the end of the parade route at Gas Works Park
Gas Works Park is a park located in Seattle, Washington, United States. It has a public park on the site of the former Seattle Gas Light Company gasification plant, located on the north shore of Lake Union at the south end of the Wallingfor ...
.
The Parade distinguishes itself from other mainstream parades with the following unusual rules:
# No printed words, signage or recognizable logos.
# No live animals (except guide animals).
# No motorized vehicles (except motorized wheelchairs)
# No functional weapons.
The 2022 parade was scheduled for Saturday June 18. The parade was cancelled from 2020 to 2021, as announced on April 16, 2020, by the Fremont Arts Council coronavirus pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
.
See also
*Arts in Seattle
Seattle is a significant center for the painting, sculpture, textile and studio glass, alternative, urban art, lowbrow (art movement) and performing arts. The century-old Seattle Symphony Orchestra is among the world's most recorded orchestras ...
*Bohemianism
Bohemianism is a social and cultural movement that has, at its core, a way of life away from society's conventional norms and expectations. The term originates from the French ''bohème'' and spread to the English-speaking world. It was used to ...
*Culture jamming
Culture jamming (sometimes also guerrilla communication) is a form of protest used by many anti-consumerist social movements to disrupt or subvert media culture and its mainstream cultural institutions, including corporate advertising. It at ...
* Santa Barbara Summer Solstice Parade
Notes and references
External links
Fremont Arts Council Homepage
Parade Homepage
{{Fremont, Seattle DIY culture Clothing-optional events Summer festivals Pacific Northwest art Festivals in Seattle Culture of Seattle Solstice Parade Recurring events established in 1989 1989 establishments in Washington (state) June